Hollow block structure



Sept. 20, 1932. Q OLSEN 1,877,953

HOLLOW BLOCK STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 7. 1951 /5 2"; 5 :1 E; M" L I F" F FIG.2

/ I I 1 I IN V EN TOR.

BY F l G 5, fi ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 2c, 1932 UNETEE STATES PATENT GFFEQE PETER G. OLSEN, F PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO FEDERAL SEABOARD TERRA. GOTTA CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY HOLLOW BLOCK STRUCTURE Application filed. February 7, 1931.

This invention relates to hollow building blocks of terra cotta or the like usually made with webs or partitions connecting the ex terior walls.

@ The open construction of hollow tiles is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of bonding with mortar. The edges of the relatively thin walls and webs afford insuflicient support or contact for the mortar, and as a re- Lgpj sult the mortar frequently falls inside the tile while the small remaining portion of the mortar in the course of time falls out of the joint. This criticism has application whether the tile be set with the hollow spaces igg, extending vertically or horizontally, i. e. whether the joint be horizontal or vertical. Consequently hollow tiles have not been regarded with favor for exposed or exterior walls as the destruction of the mortar oint leads to ultimate destruction of the wall and permits the penetration of rain and moisture.

According to the present invention the hollow tile construction is so modified as to pro- 125, vide an adequate bed for mortar or other binder so that the binder can be spread over the entire end of the tile. In addition the invention provides what may be termed dowels of mortar or other bond to thus securely clinch or interlock adjoining blocks as well as serving to retain the binder itself in place. The field of exterior Wall structures is thus made available to hollow tiles since the bonding joint is made adequate to prevent moisture penetration and there is no tendency to falling out of the joint material. Tile constructed in accordance with this invention is likewise suitable for interior walls and other purposes for which tile in general are adapted.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a hollow tile block intended for setting with the open ends in a vertical plane; Fig. 2 is a top view of a portion of the block; and Fig. 3 is a section through two contiguous blocks showing a mortar joint.

In the manufacture of hollow tile block the clay or plastic material from which it is Serial No. 514,087.

commonly made is extruded through a die to give the desired conformation of side walls 11, end walls 15, longitudinal web 13 and cross connecting Webs 16 and then cut into the desired length. The clay is suficiently stiff so that the block can be handled and later burned in the kiln. This comprises the well known manufacture of hollow tile, or hollow brick.

The tile structure 10 of the present invention has in addition to the usual walls and the webs of the block, tongues or projections 12 formed on the edges of parallel Walls 11 so as to extend substantially over the spaces intervening between the walls and webs. Preferably additional tongues 14 are provided on the web or webs 18 for part only of their length parallel to the walls 11 and projecting toward the tongues 12 so that the spaces are enclosed sufliciently to afford adequate support for a continuous bed of mortar. Total closure of the spaces is not found essential as the mortar itself has enough stiflness and coherence to maintain its continuity over what openings may remain at the corners. Furthermore complete closure is not desirable since the mortar that is depressed or forced into these openings serves to secure the bond in place as well as lock contiguous blocks together.

When the tile blocks are made from the clay or plastic material they are modified to embody the present invention by using a chisel or edge-like tool and shaving the material to form tongues inclining from thesides of the walls and webs as shown as the blocks come from the molding machine. This operation is readily performed on the clay blocks by thrusting the tool by hand or me chanical means into the edges of the walls and webs. Thereafter the blocks are burned or set to a non-plastic condition in accordance with the usual practice.

Other methods of providing end closures for the spaces while at the same time forming increased contact areas for the binder are possible. For example separate pieces of material may be formed and applied to the walls or webs of the hollow blocks to secure a more or less complete closure; these may be necessary when the form or the material utilized is not of a nature to permit cutting onto the edges. The method described above, however, is preferred in view of its 5 simplicity and the character of surface obtained.

I claim: 1. As an article of manufacture hollow masonry tile block comprising in combination parallel exterior walls and an intermediate web separated by spaces of greater width than the thickness of said walls and web, cross walls connecting the exterior walls and web, tongues provided on edges of said exterior walls and projecting inwardly over said spaces, each of said tongues extending substantially the full length of a wall portion between a pair of cross walls, and coacting tongues provided on said web and extending 29 toward said first named tongues, each of said last named tongues ext-ending partially of the full length of a web portion between a pair of cross walls.

2. As an article of manufacture hollow masonry tile block comprising in combination parallel exterior walls and an intermediate web, cross walls connecting the exterior walls and the web, tongues provided on said exterior walls and projecting toward 30 said web, and tongues provided on said web and projecting toward said exterior walls. 3. As an article of manufacture hollow masonry tile block comprising in combination parallel exterior walls and a web there- 85 between separated by intervening spaces, cross walls connecting the exterior wall and the web, and tongues extending toward each other from one of the exterior walls and the web over the open end of an intervening space.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

PETER C. OLSEN. 

